Big Business Supports the Common Core
Yesterday, 72 business corporations published a full-page advertisement in the New York Times supporting the Common Core State Standards.
The ad asserts that the CCSS will prepare all children “to be successful in a competitive global economy.” How do they know that since the standards are only now being implemented and have never been demonstrated to be successful?
The ad says that “the need for a strong employer voice is greater than ever.” Why would that be? Is it because
The ad asserts that the CCSS will prepare all children “to be successful in a competitive global economy.” How do they know that since the standards are only now being implemented and have never been demonstrated to be successful?
The ad says that “the need for a strong employer voice is greater than ever.” Why would that be? Is it because
The State of the Union Address
Every year since the introduction of Race to the Top, I wait in high anticipation to see whether President Obama will recognize how demoralizing this program has been to the nation’s educators. I keep hoping he will acknowledge that it has intensified the punitive effects of No Child Left Behind, that its demand to evaluate teachers by the test scores of their students has no evidence to support it, that its support for charter schools has unleashed an unprecedented wave of privatization, that its encouragement of merit pay has led to repeated failures, and that it has promoted teaching to the test and narrowing the curriculum. President Bush would have loved to get the heavy-handed accountability and privatization features of Race to the Top into his own legislation, but Congressional Democrats in 2001 would never have permitted it.
Every year I have been disappointed. (Not surprisingly, he did not take my advice, other than in his advocacy for early childhood education.)
Last night was not as bad as two years ago, when the President claimed that Race to the Top was developed by
Every year I have been disappointed. (Not surprisingly, he did not take my advice, other than in his advocacy for early childhood education.)
Last night was not as bad as two years ago, when the President claimed that Race to the Top was developed by
G.F. Brandenburg: What’s Wrong with Corporate Reform
G.F. Brandenburg writes one of the best education blogs on the planet. Follow him.
He has a deep intolerance for fraud, cheating, and misrepresentation.
Here he explains in a few hundred words what is wrong with corporate reform.
He has a deep intolerance for fraud, cheating, and misrepresentation.
Here he explains in a few hundred words what is wrong with corporate reform.
L.A. Parent Explains Why She Will Vote for Steve Zimmer
As readers of this blog know, the corporate titans in Los Angeles have raised a huge fund to beat Steve Zimmer in his race for re-election to the LA school board. Eli Broad and his allies have raised over $1.5 million. NYC Mayor Bloomberg has tossed in $1 million to support the pro-privatization candidates.
Zimmer is the main target. It is all-hands-on-deck to defeat this good man.
This letter arrived from a parent in the Los Angeles school system. You might be interested in reading her comments on how charter schools are increasing segregation in the district:
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Zimmer is the main target. It is all-hands-on-deck to defeat this good man.
This letter arrived from a parent in the Los Angeles school system. You might be interested in reading her comments on how charter schools are increasing segregation in the district:
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Letter to the Editor: LAUSD School Board Election
An open letter to my fellow, locally-politically engaged neighbors:
The For-Profit Tutoring Experience—Ugh!
A reader recently wrote what it is like to work for a for-profit tutoring company:
I am a teacher in a Catholic school and I work for one of these for profit tutoring companies in Chicago. I provide small group instruction to children in math and reading.
Although I feel that I am conscientious and try my best to provide the best services I can for my students, the company I work for pays teachers very low salaries and forces them to teach extremely unreasonable number of
I am a teacher in a Catholic school and I work for one of these for profit tutoring companies in Chicago. I provide small group instruction to children in math and reading.
Although I feel that I am conscientious and try my best to provide the best services I can for my students, the company I work for pays teachers very low salaries and forces them to teach extremely unreasonable number of
Michael Johnston, Colorado Boy Wonder of Corporate Reform
Who is the miracle reformer of Colorado? Who wrote its law to evaluate teachers by their test scores? Who claimed that his high school graduated 100% of its seniors and sent them to college? Who so lauded by President Obama and DFER? Whose legislation became a model for ALEC? Why, Michael Johnston, of course.
More on Charter Legislation in Tennessee
The Tennessee Legislature is rushing to pass legislation that would allow charters to apply to the state to get authorization, instead of the local school board. As noted in an earlier post, the legislation would apply only to Nashville and Memphis.
Note the rationale for targeting these two districts: they already have the most charter schools, so they of course need many more and the state must do it, not the local board.
This legislation–gutting local control–comes right out of the ALEC playbook, which considers privatization to be a
Note the rationale for targeting these two districts: they already have the most charter schools, so they of course need many more and the state must do it, not the local board.
This legislation–gutting local control–comes right out of the ALEC playbook, which considers privatization to be a
Tennessee Republicans Seek to Gut Local Control
The Republican super-majority in the Tennessee legislature introduced legislation to strip away the the power of the school boards in Memphis (Shelby County) and Nashville to authorize charter schools.
The power would be moved to a state authority.
This move is retaliation against the Metro Nashville school board, which rejected an application from the Great Hearts charter school academy of Arizona. The school board rejected Great Hearts four times! The problem was
The power would be moved to a state authority.
This move is retaliation against the Metro Nashville school board, which rejected an application from the Great Hearts charter school academy of Arizona. The school board rejected Great Hearts four times! The problem was
Please Give Your Advice to This Reader
I received the following sincere request for advice. I replied that I would ask readers to share their views. My own view is that RTTT is promoting privatization and standardization and offers little that will enrich education or improve the teaching profession. But I think the reader should hear from you.
She writes:
Diane. I read your blog and other resources about education because I earnestly want to understand all that is going on in education. I read things that make it seem as if education around us is blowing up and yet I see leadership going about equally as earnestly trying to do what I imagine they have interpreted to be appropriate for
She writes:
Diane. I read your blog and other resources about education because I earnestly want to understand all that is going on in education. I read things that make it seem as if education around us is blowing up and yet I see leadership going about equally as earnestly trying to do what I imagine they have interpreted to be appropriate for
Diane in the Evening 2-12-13 Diane Ravitch's blog
Diane Ravitch's blog: Breaking News: Mayor Bloomberg Gives $1 Million to L.A. School Board Candidates by dianerav This is an astonishing development. Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City, a multibillionaire, is giving $1 million to support three candidates in the Los Angeles school board election. The candidates he is backing are in favor of privately managed charter schools and are generally anti-union. The people of Los Angeles will decide in next month’s election whether the super-rich elite can buy control of the public school system and impose their pet project of pr... more »